Bloonoa Virus
The Bloonoa Virus (Bloonoavirus reanimatus) was a thanatological retrovirus that appeared in BTD7: Planet of the Apes and BTD8: Corrupter's Revenge. It was the source of how the Monkey Empire was able to create Monkey Zombies, and was used as a biological weapon against the Bloons up until 188 ABO. Creation The Bloonoa Virus was made to put Monkeys in equal parity with their inflatable enemies, as the Bloons do not require food, water, or sleep. An army of Bloons will not suffer from supply degradation, loss of morale, most diseases, or fatigue. As of how the virus was created, the methods of which involve genetic modification of pre-existing viruses and infusing them with a bit of dark magic. The Bloonoa Virus undergoes rapid antigenic shift to evade the immune system, like HIV. This is to ensure that the transformation into a zombie cannot be stopped by the immune system alone. Symptoms Infecting a susceptible organism to any pathogen will almost always show symptoms. Early symptoms include clotting of the wound, fever, joint pain, polyphagia, and hypersalivation. A few hours later, the virus starts replicating in the brain, resulting in paralysis, encephalitis, tremors, and confusion, followed by coma and death. The brain, however, remains alive but dormant, as it is transformed by the virus into an oxygen-independent organ. Once this transformation is complete, the virus reactivates certain parts of the brain, and the "dead" Monkey reanimates into what is called a Monkey Zombie, a member of the living dead. Effects on Bloons The Bloonoa Virus also reanimates Bloons as undead minions of their Monkey counterparts. As of how the Monkey Zombies are able to control the undead Bloons is unknown. More research is underway. Effects on humans This virus has never been tested on humans before as the only surviving humans came from the Planet of the Apes universe. It is unknown whether or not there are any humans native to the Bloons dimension that exist (or used to exist). At the time of this writing, the search for homo sapiens or any of their previous evolutions continues. It has recently been discovered that Australopithecus - which were humanity's ancestors from the Cherninverse - had gone extinct before they could speciate in our timeline. Therefore, the only possible candidate for testing would be Nova, and can only be done in vitro (meaning that the Monkeys must test the virus on a sample from Nova), because the sample size of human population in the TOTiverse is far too small for any in vivo testing, considering the high lethality of the virus. Transmissions Transmission involves only through fluidic contact, almost always through being bitten by a Monkey Zombie. Monkey Zombies usually target Bloons to attack, but transmission to other Monkeys is possible, though such situations have only been seen a few times. Zoonotic transmission has been proven impossible, as the Bloonoa Virus repels any and all scavengers. Mosquitoes, ticks, lice, and other parasites are also repelled by the virus. Undead features Unlike their extradimensional counterparts, most of the cognitive functions the zombies had while they were alive are preserved. Monkey Zombies can still climb, speak (although in a much more hoarse, distorted voice), jump, recognize other Monkeys, and improvise. Monkey Zombies feel virtually no pain whatsoever; one zombie has been recorded to been hit by a rocket launcher and not feel anything other than "a little push". Self-preservative reflexes remain in the simian zombie mind. What doesn't remain, however, is the emotion that is fear. Whatever phobias or fears the infected had while still alive are destroyed utterly once they become the undead. Anxiety, stress, anger, bias, and despair are also reduced to almost nothing in a Monkey Zombie, though they do retain small levels of empathy, sympathy, and compassion. However, Monkey Zombies have their disadvantages; they can't regenerate on their own if damaged; they rely entirely on external thanatoregenerative fluids to repair their bodies. They also have their agility and speed reduced by about 32%. Although they do recognize loved ones, their romantic desires are 99.99999% weaker than their living counterparts. The reproductive organs of Monkey Zombies are also necrotic and incapable of producing any form of gamete whatsoever. Monkey Zombies slowly decay over a couple of years. If not regularly immersed in preservative fluid such as formaldehyde, Monkey Zombies will eventually decay into nothingness. Monkey Zombies can only be killed by destroying their brains. They cannot be destroyed with attacks to the body. For example, stabbing a Monkey Zombie in its already defunct heart will produce no effect. Non-lethal devices such as concussion grenades, flashbangs, Mace gas, etc. will not do anything to stun or disorient a Zombie. Toxins of any kind (e.g. VX gas) are useless as well, as the bodily functions targeted by such poisons are no longer required for the Monkey Zombie to "survive." The virus has mutated to give the Zombies even more enhancements, such as dermal calcification, cranial elephantitis, autothysis, and bone dysplasia. Cure The Zombie Cure is the counter-agent to the Bloonoa Virus. This chemical can cure both living monkeys infected by the virus AND already-zombified monkeys, the latter being cured by resurrecting them and eliminating the virus from their system simultaneously. Killswitch Due to the Bloonoa Virus' massive potential for a total pandemic, the Monkey Empire's greatest minds have come together to invent last-ditch contingency for the virus. In case the Bloonoa Virus gains immunity to the cure and control over the virus is lost, a special technomagical device known as the Bloonoa Virus Killswitch will activate dormant genetic and technological implants deep within the virus that orders the virus and all of its copies and strains to self-destruct. However, this will also kill all hosts infected by it, whether alive or undead. These genetic implants are so neatly concealed and distributed across multiple vital sections of the virus' genetic sequence that it's impossible to remove the implants without causing fatal damage to the virus. The Killswitch is located at the core of Venus, and the details of the location are kept to the highest level of secrecy to prevent enemy countermeasures against it, as the destruction or failure of the Killswitch could result in the collapse of the Monkey Empire if the Virus spirals out of control. The scientists who know of the Killswitch's existence are put under a powerful spell that induces post-hypnotic mental block to prevent the scientists from disclosing the location, even if telepathically probed for such information. The spell was so powerful that it managed to hide the details of the location from the Corrupter's telepathic probing until the block was broken when the Monkey Empire started obtaining it, and when the Corrupter absorbed all of Dr. Retson Malus' memories, the details of the Killswitch were left behind, preventing Corrupter from knowing the Killswitch's location at that time. Items The Bloonoa Virus can manifest in your inventory in Story Mode as a consumable item known as the Bloonoa Virus Vial. You can obtain such a vial by going to the Bloonoa Virus Lab and collecting a sample of the virus from the virus containers with an Empty Flask. You can drink the vial by pressing Left-Click on Mac or Right Trigger on Xbox One; drinking it will turn you into a zombie. While in zombie form, you are immune to STUN and take 40% less damage from all attacks except headshots. Also, attacks to any part of the body except the head cannot CRIT or reduce your health past 1. Taking any form of damage won't make you recoil either, a godsend when facing enemies that would normally cause you to stagger constantly and stop you from counterattacking. This comes at a terrible price, though; you stop passively healing and instead very slowly lose HP due to decay. Burning DoT can still hurt you as well, but you can't die from any other form of DoT (Poisoned and Bleeding can't hurt you). If you don't have a Zombie Cure around, you will eventually decay into nothing and die. Not only that, but you also move 33% slower and can't interact with other people in certain ways. The vial is also one of the ingredients needed to craft the NecroLauncher, a grenade launcher that fires explosive projectiles filled with the virus. When Bloons are shot by it, they take high amounts of lethal DoT. Then, after they die (whether from the DoT or some other cause) they reanimate as zombies that fight for you. You will take concussive damage if the shells explode too close to you as with any other explosives, but they will NOT turn you into a zombie. This might seem strange, but this could be a godsend when you shoot this too close as you won't accidentally zombify yourself especially if you have this weapon BEFORE you get the cure. Boss Bloons are immune to the NecroLauncher's DoT and zombification effects, making the NecroLauncher almost useless against them; otherwise it'd be all too easy to beat down extremely overpowered bosses such as Bloonarius X. BTD8: Corrupter's Revenge During the events of BTD8: Corrupter's Revenge, the Monkey Empire tries to use the Bloonoa Virus to help snuff out the remaining Bloon Regime fragments scattered across the cosmos. However, the Corrupter hijacks the Bloonoa Virus and turns it against the Monkey Empire, making Monkey Zombies hostile to living Monkeys and causing a deadly pandemic. The Corrupter also makes the virus immune to the Bloonoa Virus Cure. Trivia *The Bloonoa Virus is based off two thanatological pathogens from different universes: the Necroa Virus from Plague Inc. and the Solanum virus from the Zombie Survival Guide. Category:BTD7: Planet of the Apes Category:References Category:Items